Design engineers often find themselves under immense pressure to deliver custom product designs quickly while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.  
 
The manual process of modifying CAD models, generating documentation, and ensuring consistency can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

This is where DriveWorks for SOLIDWORKS transforms the workflow! 
 
DriveWorks automates design tasks, allowing manufacturers to configure and produce custom products efficiently.  
 
By integrating design automation into SOLIDWORKS, companies can reduce lead times, eliminate repetitive tasks, and enhance overall productivity.  
 
In this blog, we explore how DriveWorks revolutionises the design process and why it is an essential tool for modern manufacturers. 

1. What is Design Automation?

Design automation simplifies the creation of customised products by leveraging predefined rules and logic.  
 
Instead of manually adjusting CAD models, engineers can automate design variations, generate production-ready drawings, and ensure consistency across projects.  
 
This process not only improves accuracy but also accelerates turnaround times, allowing businesses to take on more orders without increasing workload.

2. How DriveWorks Enhances SOLIDWORKS Design Automation

DriveWorks is specifically built for SOLIDWORKS, providing a seamless integration that enables engineers to automate tedious and repetitive tasks. The platform offers three key automation steps:

2.1. Capturing Design Parameters

Using the DriveWorks Add-in, engineers can identify and capture the key parameters that define a design. These parameters can include dimensions, materials, features, and configurations that vary across different product versions. 

2.2. Building Rules and Logic

Once the parameters are captured, the next step is to apply engineering logic using the DriveWorks Rules Builder. This allows engineers to create smart rules that dictate how designs should be modified based on specific inputs. Whether adjusting part dimensions or configuring multiple assemblies, DriveWorks ensures that every variation adheres to company standards. 

2.3. Automating Design Generation

With rules in place, DriveWorks automatically generates new SOLIDWORKS models, assemblies, and drawings based on customer or internal specifications. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, reducing errors and freeing up engineers to focus on innovation. 

3. Key Benefits of DriveWorks Design Automation

3.1. Increased Efficiency

By automating repetitive design tasks, DriveWorks enables faster design iterations with minimal manual input. 
 
Engineers can focus on high-value projects while ensuring that standardised designs are created quickly and accurately.  
 
Collaboration between departments, from sales to production, is also improved as design data is automatically updated across teams.

3.2. Enhanced Innovation

Reducing manual design work allows engineers to concentrate on problem-solving and new product development.  
 
This fosters a culture of innovation, where teams can experiment with new concepts without being bogged down by routine tasks.  
 
The result is a faster time-to-market for new products and a more engaging work environment for design teams. 

3.3. Cost Savings

DriveWorks minimises human errors, reduces design rework, and optimises production workflows, all of which contribute to significant cost savings.  
 
Manufacturers can complete projects more efficiently, reduce material waste, and improve profitability by streamlining their design processes.

3.4. Accuracy and Quality Control

Human errors in manual design can lead to costly mistakes and production delays.  
 
With DriveWorks, all design outputs follow predefined rules, ensuring that every generated model is accurate and compliant with industry standards.  
 
Automated validation checks further enhance quality control, reducing the likelihood of errors reaching the manufacturing stage.

3.5. Scalable Customisation

As customer demand for personalised products grows, manufacturers must find ways to accommodate variability without sacrificing efficiency.  
 
DriveWorks enables businesses to generate bespoke designs at scale, producing customised models, drawings, and manufacturing data without increasing design workload.

4. Real-World Impact: Faster Sales and Manufacturing Cycles

One of the best ways to understand the benefits of DriveWorks is to look at real-world applications.  
 
A leading manufacturer, VanAire Inc., implemented DriveWorks to optimise their design and manufacturing processes. 
 
Before using DriveWorks, creating a product specification and entering data into their ERP system took up to two hours.  
 
With DriveWorks, this process was reduced to less than 10 minutes. Additionally, the generation of manufacturing drawings, which previously took 15-20 minutes, now takes only 3-4 minutes. 
 
By integrating DriveWorks with SOLIDWORKS and their ERP system, VanAire significantly improved efficiency, reduced errors, and streamlined their order processing.  
 
This demonstrates how design automation not only benefits engineering teams but also has a direct impact on production and sales operations.

5. Getting Started with DriveWorks for SOLIDWORKS

DriveWorks offers different levels of automation depending on business needs.  
 
SOLIDWORKS users can explore DriveWorksXpress, a free entry-level design automation tool included in every seat of SOLIDWORKS. 
 
For businesses looking for advanced automation capabilities, DriveWorks Solo provides additional features, including enhanced rule-building and automated document generation. 
 
A free 30-day trial is available for those wanting to explore its full potential before investing in the solution.

The Bottom Line

DriveWorks is a game-changer for manufacturers looking to streamline their design processes, reduce manual workload, and improve accuracy.  
 
By automating CAD workflows, companies can increase efficiency, cut costs, and enhance customisation capabilities without sacrificing quality.  
 
Whether you’re designing “same but different” products or scaling up production, DriveWorks is the ideal solution to optimise your SOLIDWORKS experience.